The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Stop Talking
Posted by Ann-Taylor (Private, Caliornia) on 01/12/2009
★★★★★
I've had a sore throat for at least 2 or 3 days. At that time every time I stood up I would get very dizzy and everything would turn black for 2 or 3 seconds. It it hurt when I swallowed, the pain came from the right side of my throat. I've looked up the information I was going to maybe buy some Cayenne Pepper but later on, I stopped talking for at least 6 hours STRAIGHT. It helped a lot, although this information may not help for some other people with worse sore throat. Although, I did eat and drink. All I didn't do was not to talk just kept my mind busy on something else.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Susan (Glendale, CA, USA) on 01/04/2009
★★★★★
I've somehow managed to catch a horrible cold and have battled a sore throat for 2 days now. I have absolutely NO tolerance for pain, so I've been miserable. I've been using cayenne pepper and ACV as both a gargle and added to hot water to sip on constantly, but it only gives little to temporary relief.
I decided to try some coconut oil in some pineapple tea that I had (hoping deep down it resembled a pina colada!) I saw that EVCO wasn't listed as a remedy for cold or sore throats, really, but I decided to give it a shot.
Wow, was it soothing! The horrible thing about sore throats is how dry and scratchy the throat gets which makes the pain ten times worse... but the coconut oil lubed everything up so nicely that it doesn't hurt half as bad! I have no idea how long this will last, but I'll take what relief I can get!
I did have a lot of success with EVCO after having a strange sinus infection last year at this time that made all the glands in my head so swollen. After trying everything and going to the doctor who gave me no-good antibiotics, I gave EVCO a shot, and within one day my glands had gone down, my head and decongested and I felt better. I love this stuff. I just wish I liked the taste better!
Chicken Soup
Posted by Joe (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) on 12/30/2008
★★★★★
Chicken broth works like magic! 2 Thumbs up!
Vinegar
Posted by Tory (Jackson, California) on 12/21/2008
★★★★★
I'm suffering from the worst sore throat I've EVER had, and I'm 51. I read all the cures and the most posted about Apple cider & vinegar, so I didn't have any vinegar here, but I did have these pickled garlic pieces, I chewed one and drank some juice from it, its the first I've had relief in 4 days!!!
Mouthwash
Posted by Christina (Tallahassee, Florida) on 12/08/2008
★★★★★
I tried gargling mouthwash for my sore throat and it worked right away. My throat started to hurt a little while after but its much more tollerable now that I can actually swallow! I used about a cm over the line inside the cap of the mouthwash.
Whiskey
Posted by Kate (Toronto, Ontario) on 12/04/2008
★★★★★
The best remedy I know for sore throat is Drambuie. It's a Scottish liquer made with malt whiskey and spiced honey, and is 40%. Other similarly strong alcohols might help, but I have never tried them. Weak alcoholic drinks do NOT work.
Just one small sip always provides immediate relief for myself and all my family. If the liquid doesn't seem to touch the particular spot in your throat, I like to gargle just a little bit. I know it sounds gross, and please remember this is a liquer, so you only want a sip and not a whole mouthful.
If the sore throat comes back, two or three more sips throughout the day might be necessary. I have never had to use it more often than this.
Of course I don't think I need to mention that this isn't for kids as the taste is very strong and could upset sensitive stomachs.
Also, just a warning, that a 375ml bottle here in Canada will cost you about $25. This bottle will however last you a VERY long time. If you don't want to fork out that much, there are always small sample size bottles available too.
Honestly though, this has worked in my family for the past 20 years at least.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Erica (NYC, NY) on 11/28/2008
★★★★☆
apple cider vinegar, lavender oil, peppermint tea, sea salt
I read through the blog and pulled everything i could find in the cupboard. Yesterday felt my throat starting to swell and woke up in the middle of the night with left throat gland / lymph node really painful and hard to swallow.
Ended up gargling warm water with apple cider vinegar, lemon and honey, then drank a cup of water with 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar. drank 3 cups of peppermint tea with lemon and honey, applied lavender oil to the glad with a warm water press for a few minutes, also sprayed echinacea/tea tree oil in my throat and even drank a glass of water with sea salt.
Sounds a bit much? Probably... but it's only been an hour and a half and I think the swelling is definitely reducing, i'm definitely feeling a lot better and not as worried thats for sure. I think a lot may be psychological too - the more stuff you take for it, the more you think it will heal and so it does. So make sure to stay positive. :)
Oregano Oil
Posted by Robert (Toronto, Canada) on 11/27/2008
★★★★★
Sore Throat Remedy: Oil of Oregano, Honey & Water
From your local health shop you can usually find oil of oregano. It is super concentrated oil derived from oregano leave. If you research it is well know for its antibacterial properties. Apparently, and I believe it, it has the same antibacterial properties as lysol minus the toxicity.
I mixed two drops from 1:1 concentration formula (per the bottles instructions) to one ounce of water and a table spoon of honey. I gargled a bit then swallowed as it is perfectly safe to drink. And it doesn't taste that bad either.
The results were immediate. My sore throat went away in 5 minutes. I thought maybe I would have to follow-up
but no it was gone in 5 minutes. My throat was bad but not as bad as I have had as I get strept throat on occasion were I can't even eat because it hurts to swallow.
I see lots of people writing on the effects of cayenne pepper and am surprised noone has commented on oil of oregano. Try it it works!
Antiseptic Mouthwash
Posted by Joey (Toronto, Ontario) on 11/26/2008
★☆☆☆☆
This stuff is a lie, it makes you foam haha, I tried it, don't try it, it doesn't even work either.
White Pepper
Posted by Mary Ann (Rural, South Africa) on 11/03/2008
★★★★★
Thank you for your miracle site. Being pensioners money is an affliction in itself. What joy to find this site. Well here is my small contribution.
Re-aligning a dropped little tongue. At the onset of a bout of sore throat or flu, the small tongue seems to drop back into the throat, affecting the ability to swollow. and is also very uncomfortable, almost worse than the flu its self. Take a small amount of pepper, preferbly white pepper, on the very tip of a round tipped knife and carefully dab onto the tip of the little tongue. This will pull the tongue back into position.
I tell anyone who will listen about this amazing site.
Rum
Posted by Nadine (Brooklyn, New York) on 11/01/2008
★★★★★
I tried the Rum and/or Listerine Mouthwash and it works ! I took a shot of Mexican Tequila and tried to gargle as long as I possibly could. As soon as I spat out the Tequila, my tonsils felt instantly better. The irration went right away and it almost feels like they aren't there. I will probably take another one here soon since I took a very little one the first time. Also with the Mouthwash, it works as well. I used it every morning with brushing my teeth, however, do not swallow this one. Simply just gargle and spit. I personally think Rum or Tequila works alot better because it has a stronger alcohol content then mouthwash. Goodluck!
Tequila
Posted by Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) on 10/27/2008 392 posts
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
Tequila is long known to help sore throat in some cases, but it won't stop recurrence of sore throat. The reason for sore throat is virus or bacteria. So even a beer with plenty of tabasco sauce or halbenero pepper sauce may actually kill the sore throat too. Even a lemon juice with tabasco sauce or hot sauce also worked just as well without the alcohol. In certain cases very sore throat infection runs deep into the throat, the alcohol reaches the pathogens quicker killing them. But it can't be used frequently and I used only in extreme circumstances when alcohol is actually added. The reason is that alcohol also destroys the immune system in the process and takes days to recover because it cause the body to be metabolically acidosis. The other issue is alcohol has a tendency to be addictive to some people and then they start rationalizing for their continued use. I have found people who use alcohol added sore throat remedy will have a high recurrence rate compared to a lemon, baking soda or hydrogen peroxide, for the simple reason that alcohol also harms healthy cells and hence it lower's the body's immune system.
Tequila
Posted by Jacob (Costa Mesa, Ca) on 10/26/2008
★★★★★
I have very sensitive sinuses. I cannot, in my entire life, recall a year where I did not get to enjoy the wonders of a sinus infection. For me this means, among other things, lots and lots of very sore throats. A few years ago I was informed of an unorthodox sounding homeopathic remedy which I tried and have had tremendous success with.
What strikes me as odd is that this remedy is not at all featured on your sore throat article as a popular solution.
At the time I was working in a bar as a bouncer and between the yelling that is necessary to control a crowd and the sore throat I had even breathing had become a labored process. I asked the bartender what she did in these situations. She told me that she drank a shot of tequila and had learned to do so from one of our cooks, Luciano (Lucy for short.) I thought she was messing with me and didnt appreciate it. So I approached Lucy when she wasnt around and asked him. He told me about the tequila. He is a notorious joker, so I still didn't believe. I asked our other cook Pedro, and he also told me he would take a shot of tequila. It was just too much, so I figured I'd do it just to prove them wrong. I know that you prefer to keep your website label free, but they were pretty insistant that I use Patron, and I will explain why in a moment. Patron is very pungent, but the silver label is incredibly smooth as tequila goes, and that is pretty much the only reason to use it above other tequilas. I have used Cuervo as a cheap alternative and had similar success, the Patron is just more pleasant going down. As a rule drinking is a bad idea with a sore throat because it will dehydrate you and aggravate the condition and further your discomfort. If you can keep it to just ONE shot though the results are amazing.
That night, and every time I have had a sore throat worth treating since then, the shot of tequila worked miracles. Relief within about a minute, and by the next morning my throat felt good enough to let me yell again. I took another shot the following night and it was all cleared up by the next day. I get predictably similar results every time I repeat this remedy. I must stress that keeping yourself to just 1 or 2 shots is PARAMOUNT. A sore throat is not a good reason to go out and have a night of binge drinking. You will regret it.
I also understand that this remedy might not be practical depending on your religeon. You will, however, find that most religeons are quite tolerant of using mind affecting drugs when it is done so in a medical capacity. I myself subscribe to a religeon that prohibits me from drinking, smoking, or imbibing anything that might limit my ability to function in any way. But even I am allowed to take vicodin when disabled by headaches or tequila when rendered mute by a sore throat.
Ephedra
Posted by Teresa (Kenedy, Texas) on 10/22/2008
Tammy: Primatene tablets, that contain ephedra, can be purchased through the pharmacy, you will need to sign for these, as they keep a record of how much and how often you are buying it.
Ephedra
Posted by Tammy (San Antonio, Texas) on 10/21/2008
I took Ephedra in the whole herb form for about three years to prevent my sinus infections. During that time I never once came down with a sinus infection. After the ban on ephedra I've been battling sinus problems ever since.
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Posted by Tracy (Dearborn, MI) on 10/16/2008
★★★★★
Cayenne Pepper is great for circulation, but when something is 'hot' like a sore throat, don't you want to cool it? I use Grapefruit Seed Extract now - known for killing the strep virus (and I had strep 6 times in one year and hated taking antibiotics) ... so I was on a quest. Anyways, GSE turns out to be a Godsend, kills internal bugs without biotics... great thing! Brush teeth to kill sore throats - or gargle, if more severe. Great thing is, it numbs it. Raw throat, however, can't seem to snuff. What do you to when your 7 year old has a terrible raw throat and can't swallow? Darn!
Coconut Oil
Posted by GuestCC (SLC, Utah) on 10/16/2008
★★★★★
I have had a sore throat for a couple of weeks now. Woke up at 3:30am and the sore throat was much worse!!! I already had some VCO in the frig but I didn't have cloves. But, I did have ground clove spice. I took about a spoon full of VCO and sprinkled ground clove spice all over the spoon full of VCO. I let the VCO / clove spice just melt in my mouth and it made me feel much better. Thx!
Antiseptic Mouthwash
Posted by Jane (Grove City, OH, USA) on 10/14/2008
★★★★★
Listerine. It cures your throat sores immediately, doesn't taste gross, and it makes your breath smell better. Use the amount you usually do for mouthwash rinsing, or if you haven't used it before use about one tablespoon. Gargle it as far back as you can without swallowing it. It really takes away the burn!
Hot Sauce
Posted by Ryan Beacher (Coatesville, PA) on 10/08/2008
★★★★★
Okay, so basically, i know this is going to sound crazy, but I'm telling you. This works 100%. So, I've had strep throat for about 4 days now, and it is NOT getting better. I was looking online for anything that would help, and i came across the cayanne pepper trick. I ran upstairs to see if i had any, and to my dismay, i did not. what i did have though, was franks red hot sauce, containing, vinegar, water, and of coarse cayanne peppers. I just carry a bottle around, and drink one swig an hour. and honestly, i have no pain whatsoever, my throat feels fine. its not so much a cure, as much as its instant pain relief. its amazing. it legitimatly works better then any medicine ive ever seen. try it out if you dont believe me.
Cayenne Pepper Recipes
Posted by Tammy (Port Deposit, MD) on 10/02/2008
Try adding cayenne to Ramen soup. Add a pinch or two depending on your sensitivity to the hot water or add when you put in seasoning packet. Mix it up good and make sure you drink the broth. Not only will it heal your throat it will start your sinus's draining as well.
Horseradish
Posted by Lynn (Albany, Georgia) on 09/30/2008
★★★★★
Cayeene Pepper will cure your sore throat. Living in the south we are more prone to allergy related problems and believe in grandmas remedies. My cure for sinus and sore throat problems is a spoonful of horseradish, coated with Lousianna Hot Sauce (made from cayenne pepper) and take it till you feel better. I usually eat about 3 heaping spoonfuls every hour till it is gone. Usually gone by the next day.
Hot Liquids
Posted by Larina (Harrisburg, PA) on 09/16/2008
★★★★★
I do agree with the hot liquids, especially antioxidant rich teas, soups(chicken seems he best), water is very important in healing a sore throat the cleaner the better boiled water is the best. I also read in different articles that drinking different tempetures of water is a great way to speed up your metabolism. I also think that Vitamin C in any form is good for your immune system.
Urine Therapy
Posted by Dianna (Austin, TX) on 08/25/2008
★★★★★
hello! i wanted to write that when i read about urine therapy someone it made sense to me and i tried it. at first i just tried putting morning pee on my hands and face and i could really tell the difference - my skin looks way younger when i do this and i do not get pimples unless i stop! i am 48 and just starting menopause and was having terrible acne for the first time in years and this really helped. then i got a sore throat and decided to try the universal remedy after other remedies didn't seem to be helping. well, when i put 4 drops of the universal remedy under my tongue - within a few minutes my throat felt better! also i found that if i sniffed a couple of drops of fresh urine in my nose that my stuffed up nose would clear up almost immediately! this works folks! i am amazed!
i even have my boyfriend peeing on his feet when he has foot fungus now. he was skeptical - but it worked for him too!
also i put a drop in my eyes when they are red and/or itchy and get relief.
try it! it is free and it won't hurt you - it is yours.
dianna
EC: Read more about Urine Therapy here.
